


A journey towards...

by AceLimerencia



Series: Switch it up [1]
Category: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2
Genre: Everything happens on DeSu2 Universe, Gen, I didnt like Hiro or Kuze so his name is Hibiki Kageyama, So done, Spoilers for AO's name, Spoilers for Devil Survivor's Naoya route, poor Hibiki is just done
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-12 17:57:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5675269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceLimerencia/pseuds/AceLimerencia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hibiki was at his wits end, nothing worked. It didn't matter who he chose to go with, it didn't matter if Anguished One knew or not, it didn't matter who lived and who died. At this point he just wanted to see a day past Saturday.</p><p>So in the midst of dying for the nth time, he summoned a demon. Apparently this one's a king.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A journey towards...

The first journey was by far the worst; he let Keita fall to his death, because he thought a half hour break wouldn't hurt anyone. He lost Jungo and Joe because he wasn't quick enough. He lost Io to Lugh; because at the time, Io and he were but strangers put through rough times together. His words didn't reach her. He wasn’t enough.

The first time around Hibiki chose Meritocracy, he was tired to no end of losing people he barely knew and still suffer the heartache of feeling helpless. In a world ruled by power, he’d grow strong enough not to let anyone under him die... Or so he told himself.

Looking back on it now, it had been a moment of weakness. Potential or not, he hadn’t been strong enough back then, neither he had the will to go the extra mile and train through the stress of _half hour_ being the equivalent to another death on his side. And if he wasn't strong enough, he wouldn't be able to face the force that was _Yamato Hotsuin_.

Turns out Hotsuin or not, they were nothing but the grime under the Anguished One sole. He barely got a glance of the second phase before a wire was thrust through his heart, the Anguished One words rang distant as the world faded.

Take two; he chose from the beginning to look for a loophole. There wasn't one.

Admittedly this was better than the last time, he saved Joe and Keita but still lost Io. He met Airi's father and got to see more of Ronaldo, but lost Makoto. Hibiki accidentally made an enemy out of Yamato while trying to make him understand he wasn't strong enough to take Anguished One, Yamato got suspicious.

At the end he spilled the beans to his best friend, Hibiki thought he could trust him after knowing him all his life. It happened the day of the crossroads, and it backfired. Daichi couldn't wrap his head around it, but he didn't think less of Hibiki nor fired off the ' _Why didn't you tell me sooner? Maybe we could have...'_ he expected, instead the rest of the Team overheard and cried retribution for all those lost lives. He betrayed them. No one was there for him when he fought against Ronaldo, Daichi was too engrossed keeping demons at bay.

Third shot, less people died and that's all that mattered. Hibiki was beginning to think Anguished One knew all about his past failed attempts to save humanity; giving vague comments on how his performance was getting better each time. By this logic, Hibiki wanted to test the waters with him, maybe this time could be the end.

He knew what to say to what people, he knew where to go, and yet… All his efforts were thrown away on the last day, where he died trying to save Yamato from his suicide attempt.

Fourth. He called out to Al Saiduq and got his answers- he knew about it, the loop in time. That week he spent it against Anguished One out of petty things like anger and betrayal, considering it was apocalypse they were dealing with. He sided with Yamato again, this time more than ready to face the heretic off.

All Hibiki could think on his last moments was ' _We're getting closer'_ , as Polaris loomed over them.

Anger gone, he apologized to the only friend he had through the endless repeat, and both tried to find the most effective way of saving humanity. His companion provided little moral support, stating he had given up hope on humanity the first time around, but nevertheless was against closing off that door of possibility. Hibiki thought it was the Septentirone's conditioned defeatist behavior droning on, rather than his actual thoughts. Otherwise he wouldn't be helping at all.

Beyond the fifth time, every other week was just a blur; Hibiki was close to his breaking point, and Anguished One hardly had any backbone to talk some sense into him, he was growing more disheartened as the weeks went on. In the back of his mind, a little voice whispered this week wouldn't be any different. Whether he went with Ronaldo or Daichi or Yamato or tried to overthrow Polaris...

Nevertheless the first day began anew, the same train came crashing down as Io screamed Daichi tried to shove them out of the way, but at the end it didn't matter because here they died for thefirsttimeand-

...

He was here again, dying on a pool of his own blood. Hibiki was sure if he could feel his stomach, it'd be doing the flip flops.

It was only a matter of seconds before cold wisps began to claw at his fingertips, soon coming up to freeze even the ridge of his nose. It wasn't until his chest burned when the world paused, drawing out a broken _CRACK!_ of the same old Obaryion surfacing from his phone.

"Hee-lloo!! Tico-Tico here again, thank you for choosing me! So, same deal right?  
Just say 'YES' and we'll fight on!"

 _'I don't want to do this again.'_ Spending time with Io, faking he didn’t know anything, watch Hinako grieve, Otome worry for her daughter, convince Yamato, assure Daichi, save Keita, Joe and Jungo- would it matter if he failed at the end? The only difference was they would die together.

"Hmmm, so you don't wanna continue?"

_'I don't want to die.'_

"Off to save the world again~!"

_'I don't want to save humanity!'_

"Ho-kay, someone's grumpy! How about this...  
We can always reset it from here! Let you die right now so you can get your spirits up, and-"

Anger bubbled up _'I don't want another damned reset!'_ He wanted to yell outside of this weird void, he wanted to scream and cry and break down but it wouldn't do because _at the end nothing mattered!_ If he gave up nothing would happen, if he pressed on. Nothing. Would. Happen.

 _'I hate this.'_ for once, silence waged on.

He was so _close_ to giving up- but then everything would be in vain; all effort spent would be wasted if he couldn't accomplish anything. His friends would have suffered for nothing, he would have lived on for nothing.

He'd never get to show Yamato all the junk food and shows he missed, Airi would never see her father again, Joe would never get back to his girlfriend, Io and Daichi would never see past their entrance exam, Otome’s daughter wouldn’t have a world to live on and so, so many people wouldn't have a home anymore, and even if humanity was horrible, they didn’t deserve to be forgotten and-

_'I don't care… I don’t care what it takes anymore. I just want to see past this cursed week! Please... I just want to live!'_

**—‘I want to live’, hah. I should have expected nothing less… Brother will be angry—**

A fearful cry tore through void and the cutting chill in his body was gone. Anger brew and bubbled under his skin and grew wider and bigger and _suddenly he felt hot all over it burnsohgodSTOP_

Even but cold, the voice answered.

 **—** **Mention Him in my presence again, and I’ll crush what shreds of your soul remain.** **—**

The overwhelming heat subsided, but nevertheless kept him hyperaware _‘Who are you?’_

 **—** **You have summoned the King of Bel, Abel. Lord of demons** **—** a pause **-To think there's a human to match my will, even if I...** **—**

It was hard to tell, but Hibiki was positive although flat and even as the voice seemed, there was an edge to it. It was like talking to Alcor about Mizar—or anything concerning Polaris, really.  It wasn't long until it spoke again.

 **—** **Last I was on earth, humanity’s integrity faced erasure against God's ordeal. I killed him.  
Who does your world need to defeat so desperately, that you've summoned me?** **—**

The warmth was fading away, he was losing consciousness.

**-Right, you're dying-**

It sighed, echo running much slower than before. It seemed exhausted.

 **—** **Hold on for a while longer, form a contract with me.  
What is your will? Say it again.** **—**

_'I want to live'_

**—** **It's settled, then. Just call my name.  
Let's survive, Kageyama** **—**

_‘Let’s survive, Abel’_

**Author's Note:**

> This is the prologue! Thank you for reading uvu


End file.
